ZAPU hailed for prompt response to mine disaster

Families of the 25 Zimbabweans who were retrieved dead from a disused Roodepoort mine west of Johannesburg last week have hailed the Dumiso Dabengwa led Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) South Africa branch for a prompt and caring committed response to the mine disaster.

The ZAPU South Africa executive led by it Johannesburg Branch chairman Bongani Halimana Ndlovu rushed to the scene of the disaster early hours of Monday morning on the 24th of February when news of problems in the mine started making their way into Johannesburg CBD. On arrival on site they were met with bodies of four men and one lady all confirmed to be Zimbabwean. On getting to site their first point of call was the South African Police Services and the Johannesburg Emergency Services who all took their time to react to the SOS.

Realising the delay in reaction from authorities amidst anxious cries of predominantly Zimbabwean friends and relatives on the surface, the ZAPU executive raised the Zimbabwean consulate in South Africa for help but they also did not react as promptly as expected. According to ZAPU, they made several phone calls to the embassy and every time they were being promised that someone from the consulate was going to call them back.

Left with no alternative and faced by expectant relatives the ZAPU executive immediately set up a rescue team from the few brave friends and relatives who were on site. The immediate next challenge was to provide the "rescue team" with protective clothing and equipment. The party membership immediately donated dust masks, gloves, gum boots, overalls and other equipment for the team. Food stuff and bottled water was also collected and brought to site.

The very risky and difficult rescue exercise kicked off in earnest by late mid day on Monday at a very slow pace with the first body coming to surface four hours later. As bodies gradually made their way to the surface and it became apparent that most of the people underground were Zimbabweans anxiety started spreading around South Africa and Zimbabwe but still the Zimbabwean consulate remained mum.

The consulate sent its first delegation only three days after the rescue operation had started and by that time almost 20 bodies all Zimbaweans had been brought to the surface. The South African Emergency Services team that came to site out rightly refused to take the risk of going down the shafts fearing possible gas inhalation. Besides the little help and cooperation from the authorities and little resources the team went on bringing more bodies to the surface until the South African authorities called off the exercise on Friday five days later.

One survivor who also went on to volunteer to join the rescue team disclosed to Bulawayo 24 news in confidence that the 25 bodies that were recovered are just a small part of the actual number of bodies that remained underground. According to him the rescue team managed to pull out bodies of those who died making their way towards the opening of the shaft. According to him scores more bodies are still trapped underground and will be left to rot underground when the South African authorities seal off the mine as undertaken.

He called on Zimbabwean, Lesotho and Mozambiquean families to check on their relatives in South Africa especially those who are supposedly resident in the Westrand informal settlements.

Following the calling off of the operation, relatives of those lucky enough to be brought to surface albeit dead, were immediately faced with a daunting task of taking their loved ones for burial back home. The ZAPU executive was immediately faced with a fresh task ahead as expectant relatives expected them to take the extra mile and find ways of assisting with the burials.

Another task team led by ZAPU Johannesburg Chairman, Halimana Ndlovu assisted by executive member Raymond Mdlongwa and family members including Mr Patrick Matsinanhise who lost 6 members of his family, was set up to find means of raising money and help to bury the deceased. Throughout the weekend several meetings and consultations were held with various stakeholders and funeral parlours in Johannesburg and abroad seeking donations.

In the midst of the negotiations members of the MDC led by former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai made online statements that their party had sealed a deal with a Johannesburg parlour Kings and Queens to ferry the bodies to Zimbabwe all expenses met by the parlour. The MDC statement infuriated the negotiating team as the statement was premature and false according to ZAPU member of the National People's Council representing South Africa Ms Pretty Ncube and nearly frustrated the negotiations.

"The MDC lied about the whole thing, they did not take part in any negotiations nor field work besides being invited to do so. They did not even contribute a single cent towards the whole exercise, their statement is a blue lie," said Ncube.

In the final analysis a deal was reached between Kings and Queens funeral parlour with the funeral parlour agreeing to provide coffins and burial services for the deceased provided families and well wishers raised R53 000 to pay for transport to ferry the bodies and mourners to Zimbabwe also at a very reduced rate.

ZAPU went on a massive fundraising exercise amongst its members and well wishers. According to the party National Spokesperson Mr, Mjobisa Noko on the phone from Harare, his party donated R8 030 contributed by its members across the world. Solidarity Peace Trust an organisation which works with his party donated R10 000.

Another Johannesburg based company, Lionshare, which is renting out its premises in downtown Newtown to Zimbabwean transport operators as a rank chipped in with a R30 000 donation. Families of the deceased managed to get together and contribute the balance to meet the R53 000 quotation from the parlour.

Speaking on behalf of the bereaved families, Mr Matsinanhise could not hold his high regard for the ZAPU executive committee in Johannesburg for their efforts.

"Am extremely humbled by the efforts of the people from ZAPU, they stood by us through out this whole debacle and we felt we really had a family. ZAPU proved to be the only Zimbabwean party that showed commitment to the cause of the people and we really wish them well," said Matsinanhise.

He was also in the same wake quick to castigate the MDC T for its fabricated statement issued over the weekend.

"The MDC T really disappointed us to go out and issue a completely untrue statement in the public hoping to score political mileage using our grief. Its really unfortunate for them to do that," concluded the grief stricken gentlemen.

In his conclusion, the ZAPU national spokesperson hailed his colleagues in South Africa for the sterling job they did for the Zimbabwean nation at the very testing time. He also thanked the Zimbabwean consulate in South Africa for joining in the cause and helping process identity documents for the deceased and travel documents for family members travelling to Zimbabwe for burials.

The bodies are expected to leave Johannesburg on Friday evening after a service which will be held at the Christ King Roman Catholic Church in New Doornfontein. Hundreds of Zimbabweans are expected to attend the service in which the bodies of the deceased will all be brought into the church.

Yet to be confirmed reports from Bulawayo indicate that there is likely to be a short service at Kings and Queens funeral parlour in which ZAPU president Dr Dabengwa is expected to receive the bodies before they leave to their various destinations in the country.